Buddy Planting to Buddy Planting is a sustainable method for cultivating healthy edibles. Plants are genetically programmed to naturally like or dislike other plants. Benefits of companion plants are repelling pests, attracting beneficial insects, and allowing plants to pull specific vitamins and minerals from the soil and share that nutrition with neighboring plants. Buddy Planting for General Plant Health Here are some common plants and their friendly benefits to other plants: Alfalfa Anise Basil Bergamot and Bee Balm Borage Chervil Chilies Chives and Parsley Adds nutrients to the soil; roots give nitrogen. Attracts parasitic wasps; Deters pests by camouflaging their odor, improves the vigor of plants grown nearby; deters aphids, fleas, and cabbage worms. Attracts bees to pollinate tomatoes; can give lettuces and tomatoes delicious flavor. Improves both flavor and growth of tomatoes. Cabbage, onions, strawberries, tomatoes roses accumulates silica and potassium. Likes to grow in the shade. Improves flavor and growth of radishs. Reduce root rot. Good for potatoes and each other. Builds healthy asparagus, tomato, and protects roses from beetles.
Clover Comfrey Coriander and Anise Dill Garlic Lemon Grass Marjoram Marigold Mustard Nasturtium Onion Oregano Parsley Peppermint Rue Sage Southernwort Summer Savory Thyme Makes healthy soil; attracts predators that eat aphids. Can prevent grass and weeds; excellent companion plant for all plants; has a long taproot that keeps soil rich and moist; accumulates calcium, phosphorus, silica, nitrogen, magnesium, potassium and iron; nitrogen-giving. Help each other germinate quicker. Deters pests; attracts good bugs; good for sunflowers, onions, carrots, cucumbers, corn, Brussels sprouts, early potatoes, lettuce. Rose, tomatoes, fruit, cabbage; grow it everywhere in your garden, except do not grow with beans or peas. Prevents grass and weeds. Helps reduce mosquitos. Helps all plants; a physician plant. Kills harmful nematodes; grow it throughout the landscape; eggplant, pepper, potato and tomatoes. Fruit trees, beans, peas, alfalfa. Attracts bugs away from crops; cabbage, cucumber, tomato, squash, melon. Plant throughout the garden; lettuces, cabbages, beets, chamomile, parsnips. Plant everywhere in the garden; a physician plant Asparagus, tomato, corn, roses Cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, squash, bean, cabbage and sage. Fig, Rose Basil, cabbage, carrot, rosemary. Keeps pest population down; helps to make healthy roots. Beans, garlic, onion. Plant throughout the landscape; a physician plant; good for beans, melons, tomatoes.
Yarrow Grow as a border or anywhere throughout the landscape; heats up compost; nitrogen-fixer; a physician plant. Park s Success with Herbs by Gertrude Foster and Rosemary Louden
Protective Aromas Some of the reasons for having herbs in the garden extend beyond the culinary or medicinal use made of them. Their scents actually help other plants. Insect damage is less where a crop is interplanted with herbs of varied fragrances. They confuse the egg-laying moths whose caterpillars hatch to lay waste cabbages and other members of the Brassicas. Summer Savory, Coriander and other annual herbs are protective of vegetables in which they are interplanted. After a number of years of growing in the same location, it is possible that certain aromatic plants will be discovered by garden insects. This is especially true if plants are not in the best of vigor. But most often they are protected by their own essential oils. Herbs Among the Vegetables If the only place that has well-drained soil and ample sun, is where your vegetable garden lies, let herbs beautify it. Some, such as Parley or Bush Basil, make handsome edgings. Others to be sown successively between rows are Dill and Chervil. Summer Savory next to a row of bush beans is right at hand for picking to cook with them. Thinning of these herbs are piquant in salads, there is no need to wait for maturity time as is required for vegetables. Basil is ready for pressing into a Pesto sauce for pasta before tomatoes are ripening. It seems hard for people to learn that herbs are best when fresh, they don t have to be dried before adding to soup, stew or salad. It would be a shame to let green beans dry on the vine before using them. In the same vein, do not pass up the tender foliage of Dill, which is at its fullest before the plants flower, just for seed heads to put with cucumbers to make Dill pickles. Often people forget to sow Dill seed but plant lots of cucumbers. Then they run around trying to find the herb for the pickle. Gardening for all Seasons by Gary Hirshberg, Tracy Calvin & New Alchemy Institute Staff Buddy Planting Guidelines A list of herbs, their companions and uses HERB COMPANION AND EFFECTS
Basil Bee balm Borage Caraway Catnip Chamomile Chervil Chives Dead nettle Dill Fennel Garlic Horseradish Hyssop Companion to tomatoes; improves growth and flavor. Repels flies & mosquitoes. Dislikes rue immensely. Companion to tomatoes; improves growth, flavor and pollination. Companion to tomatoes, squash and strawberries; deters tomato hornworm; improves growth and flavor. Plant here and there, loosens soil. Plant in borders; deters flea beetle. Companion to cabbages and onions; improves growth and flavor. Companion to radishes; improves growth and flavor. Companion to carrots; improves growth and flavor. Companion to potatoes; deters potato bug; improves growth and flavor. Companion to cabbage; dislikes carrots; improves growth and health of cabbage. Plants away from gardens; most plants dislike it. Plant near roses and raspberries; deters Japanese beetle; improves growth and health. Plant at corners of potato patch to deter potato bug. Deters cabbage moth; companion to cabbage and grapes. Keep away from radishes. Lamb s Quarter This edible weed should be allowed to grow in moderate amounts in the garden, especially in corn. Lovage Improves flavor and health of plants if planted here and there.
Marigold Mint Nasturtium Pot Marigold Purslane Pigweed Peppermint Rosemary Rue Sage Sowthistle The workhorse of the pest deterrents. Plant throughout the garden, it discourages Mexican bean beetles, nematodes, and other insects. Can also help deter deer and rabbits. Companion to cabbage and tomatoes; improves health and flavor; deters white cabbage moth. Companion to radishes, cabbage and cucurbits; plant under fruit trees. Deters aphids, squash bugs, striped pumpkin beetles. Improves growth and flavor. Companion to tomatoes, but plant elsewhere in the garden too. Deters asparagus beetle, tomato worm, and general garden pests. This edible weed makes good ground cover in the corn. One of the best weeds for pumping nutrients from the subsoil. It is especially beneficial to potatoes, onions and corn. Keep weeds thinned. Planted among cabbages, it repels white cabbage butterfly. Companion to cabbage, beans, carrots, and sage; deters cabbage moth, bean beetles, and carrot fly. Keep it far away from sweet basil, plant near roses and raspberries; deters Japanese beetle. Plant with rosemary, cabbage, and carrots; keep away from cucumbers. Deters cabbage moth and carrot fly. This weed in moderate amounts can help tomatoes, onions and corn. Summery Savory Plant with beans and onions; improves growth and flavor. Deters bean beetles. Tansy Tarragon Thyme Plant under fruit trees; companion to roses and raspberries. Deters flying insects, Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and ants. Good throughout the garden. Here and there in the garden. It deters cabbage worm.
Wormwood Yarrow As a border, it helps keep animals out of the garden. Plant along borders, paths, near aromatic herbs; enhances essential oil production.